Vietnamese muralist Elena Nguyen sparked debate with her "Geometric Folklore" series, merging traditional Vietnamese lacquer painting techniques with geometric abstraction in Ho Chi Minh City. The murals, painted on repurposed shipping containers, feature stylized elephant motifs rendered in 23 karat gold leaf over indigo-dyed surfaces. 

Nguyen employed a 17th-century silk-screening method to layer hexagonal patterns, creating moiré effects that shift as viewers walk past. The project, funded by a UNESCO heritage initiative, sparked conversations about modernizing intangible cultural heritage. Art critic Linh Do wrote, "Nguyen doesn’t appropriate folk art—she reinterprets its DNA through architectural precision." The murals now guide cyclists along the city’s new greenway system, with QR codes linking to folklore narratives. Nguyen plans to train local artisans in her hybrid technique next year.